


Love Bites So Deep

by anotherwinchesterfangirl



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Multi, Polyamory, Pool Sex, Smut, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-30 21:38:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19411912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anotherwinchesterfangirl/pseuds/anotherwinchesterfangirl
Summary: Nancy didn’t really mean to leave Steve for Jonathan. Well, she did. She knew what she was doing when she kissed Jonathan. She knew what she was doing when they decided to go on that road trip together. She knew that it would hurt Steve, and she did it anyway, and when she thinks about it it twists her stomach into a knot. Almost as bad as when she thinks about what she did to Barb.She was just so angry . And she felt so alone. Nobody understood what she was thinking and feeling, what she wanted—needed—to do. Except for Jonathan.But she gets it now. It wasn’t that Steve didn’t care that it had happened—that all of it had happened—it was that the only way he could cope was by pretending that it didn’t. It was Jonathan who had actually said it to her. “Maybe he doesn’t talk about it because he’s scared it’ll swallow him up.”





	Love Bites So Deep

**Author's Note:**

> They're all 18-ish, so I did not mark this as underage. But if that squicks you, then this might not be the fic for you. :)
> 
> Title from the song Tiger Teeth by Walk the Moon.

Walking up the Harrington’s front steps with Jonathan’s slender fingers wrapped in hers feels undeniably weird. She can hear the party in full swing behind the house—water splashing, people laughing, Duran Duran blaring—and there’s a colorful banner over the front door:  _ Congratulations Graduate! _

It all sort of blurs as she remembers walking this same sidewalk with Barbara. 

_ That _ night—shotgunning beers and swimming fully dressed, their breath making frosty white puffs in the air. Wanting  _ so badly _ for Carol to think she was cool. 

That night that Jonathan shot that picture of her through Steve’s bedroom window. 

That night that started absolutely  _ everything _ . 

That night was a lifetime ago, or someone else’s life entirely. She hardly remembers being that girl. Back when her biggest concerns were losing her virginity to Steve Harrington and getting an A on her World History exam. She’s given it more thought than she cares to admit—whether or not she would go back to being that girl again, if she were given the chance—but she can never come up with an answer.

“You okay?” Jonathan says, so softly, with a slight squeeze of her hand.

She nods and takes a deep breath.  _ What am I doing here? _ she asks herself. But she knows the answer. Because even after everything, even after all the  _ bullshit _ , she misses Steve. And she’s proud of him. She practically dragged him through Calculus so he would get a C, but he graduated. 

And he was… he  _ wasn’t _ a shitty boyfriend. He made her laugh; he made her feel like the only girl in the room; he was so gentle when they—

“Nancy! So glad you’re here.” Mrs. Harrington is standing in the front doorway, a glass of red wine in one hand and a platter containing an appetizer made with little round slices of cucumbers in the other, a little decorated toothpick sticking out of the top of each. 

“Hi, Mrs. Harrington,” Nancy says. She’s prepared for the inevitable awkwardness of showing up at her ex-boyfriend’s graduation party, or for Mrs. Harrington to be mad at her for...breaking Steve’s heart or something. But Mrs. Harrington doesn’t seem to be phased in the slightest as she steps aside to let them in, smiling like any gracious host. 

“And who’s this?” Mrs. Harrington asks, raising an eyebrow at Jonathan. 

“This is Jonathan,” Nancy says at the same time Jonathan says, “Uh, Jonathan Byers, ma’am.” 

Jonathan’s neck is flushed above the collar of his shirt, and Nancy gives him a sympathetic look. She knows it’s weird, bringing her new boyfriend to her ex-boyfriend’s graduation party, but it’s different with the three of them, even if nobody else gets it. 

“Joyce Byers’ boy?” Mrs. Harrington says, as if everyone in Hawkins doesn’t know who the Byers family is by now. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Jonathan replies, and Nancy can hear how uncomfortable he is in the waver of his voice. Nancy half expects Mrs. Harrington to launch into a series of questions about the Byers family, but she just nods and smiles politely. 

“Everyone’s out back,” she says, pointing through the kitchen to the back door, which is standing open. 

Tears for Fears is blasting when they walk out the door, and Nancy knows Jonathan is just dying to roll his eyes. Mrs. Harrington dodges around them to add her tray of appetizers to the stacked food table. 

“Nance!” Steve’s voice rings out over the din of the crowd, and Nancy’s stomach leaps—whether from nerves or excitement she doesn’t know. The next second he’s in front of her, grinning his most charming grin. Nancy refuses to let her knees go weak, and she grips Jonathans hand as if in protest. 

“Hey, Steve,” she says, handing him the card she brought. 

“I did not expect to see you here,” Steve says, clapping Jonathan on the shoulder. “Byers,” he says, still grinning, and Nancy is constantly surprised at the way Steve treats Jonathan now. Even after Jonathan basically stole his girlfriend. “It’s good to see you guys,” Steve says, and it sounds so genuine that it makes Nancy’s heart ache a little. She shouldn’t have pushed him away. When the three of them are together, it’s comfortable and easy and never anything like how she thought it would be.

“Sorry we’re late,” Nancy says with a genuine smile.

“Steve!” someone calls from across the patio, and he turns to look. 

“I gotta go say bye to some people,” Steve says. “Go swimming. You brought your swimsuit, right?” He winks at Nancy and her whole body flushes and  _ what the hell? _ “Go swimming! I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Nancy didn’t really  _ mean _ to leave Steve for Jonathan. Well, she did. She knew what she was doing when she kissed Jonathan. She knew what she was doing when they decided to go on that road trip together. She knew that it would hurt Steve, and she did it anyway, and when she thinks about it it twists her stomach into a knot. Almost as bad as when she thinks about what she did to Barb. 

She was just so  _ angry _ . And she felt so alone. Nobody understood what she was thinking and feeling, what she wanted—needed—to do. Except for Jonathan.

But she gets it now. It wasn’t that Steve didn’t care that it had happened—that  _ all _ of it had happened—it was that the only way he could cope was by pretending that it didn’t. It was Jonathan who had actually said it to her. “Maybe he doesn’t talk about it because he’s scared it’ll swallow him up.” 

Looking at Steve now, she doesn’t know why she didn’t notice it before. The way he deflects everybody with his charming smile and a casual hand in his hair. The way his eyes go flat and the hand in his hair grips too tight when he thinks no one’s looking at him. It wasn’t until she saw him protect the kids so fiercely that she realized...but by then it was too late. 

***

Nancy drags the tips of her fingers through the water, lazy. The sun’s long gone down, but the water hasn’t cooled at all—it still feels more like a bath than a swimming pool. The raft underneath her is sticky warm against her bare legs and it squeaks as she shifts her weight, gently paddling herself over to where Jonathan is sitting on the edge of the pool, his legs dangling in the water. She’s almost there when a huge splash rocks the pool and she nearly capsizes. She turns just in time to see Steve coming up out of the water, his hair slicked back against his head. 

“Whew!” Steve says, standing up and shaking the water out of his eyes. He lifts a half-full bottle of whiskey in the air, water droplets raining down. “I brought us a present.” 

Nancy looks at Jonathan, and he raises his eyebrows and gives her a shrug. The party cleared out just a bit after Nancy and Jonathan showed up, and she hasn’t seen Steve’s parents in a while but she assumed they were just inside cleaning up. “Steve? Aren’t your parents…” she says, gesturing toward the house. 

“Them?” Steve scoffs. “Mom’s in a wine coma on the couch, and Dad’s already gone—on a flight to god knows where for his next business deal.” He unscrews the cap and takes a swig all in one swift motion before offering the bottle to Jonathan. 

“Might as well have some fun, I guess,” Jonathan mutters as he takes a drink.

“C’mon, Nance,” Steve says, beckoning her with his hand. “Nobody’s gonna catch us. Our parents don’t care, remember?”

Nancy has to admit he has a point. Her parents pretend to know what’s going on, but they’re so oblivious to anything that’s  _ actually _ happening it makes her sick. Her mom’s barely even noticed that Nancy isn’t dating Steve anymore. Nancy slides off the raft and into the water, making her slow way over to them. She’s certainly not going to let them get drunk without her. 

The mouth of the bottle is warm from the boys’ lips and the whiskey burns down her throat, heating her from the inside out.

A few more sips each, and they’re already acting giggly and stupid. Jonathan finally takes his shirt off and gets in the water, and Nancy and Steve both cheer. Steve challenges Jonathan to a race from one end of the pool to the other. 

“No thanks, man, I’m not that good of a swimmer,” Jonathan says. 

“Dude, it doesn’t matter,” Steve urges, taking another swig of whiskey. “C’mon, c’mon.” He starts swimming to the other edge of the pool, holding the whiskey bottle up awkwardly in one hand, and Jonathan reluctantly follows. 

“Nance! Judge us!” Steve calls to her. 

Nancy’s not quite sure what that means, but she figures she’ll be the finish line. She holds out her hands for them to touch when they get to her, and nearly loses her balance. 

More gulps of whiskey are had before Steve sets the now-near-empty bottle on the concrete and shouts, “Ready! Set! Go!”

Both of them set off, more splashing than swimming. Nancy laughs, shielding her face from the water flying everywhere as they approach her. Jonathan suddenly veers off course, toward Steve, and dunks him under. Steve comes up sputtering, grinning wickedly, and dives at Jonathan. 

Nancy’s so busy trying to shield herself from getting water in her eyes that she almost misses it—when they both come out of the water at the same time. Kissing. 

Steve’s hand is wrapped around the back of Jonathan’s head, and Jonathan has one long arm looped around Steve’s waist, and they’re  _ kissing _ . Like  _ really kissing _ . 

Nancy can’t say she’s that surprised, and it’s not just because of the effects of the whiskey on her brain. She’s been watching the way they look at each other for a while now, but she certainly didn’t expect  _ this _ . She’s stunned into silence for all of one minute—until Jonathan’s lips part, and she sees their tongues press together, and she surges forward, shoving herself between them. They break apart. Steve has a dazed look in his eyes; Jonathan looks slightly confused. 

“You guys are  _ not _ ,” she holds up a finger for emphasis, “allowed to make out without me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Steve says, holding up his hands in defense. 

She’s facing Steve, and Jonathan’s arms come around her from behind, encircling her waist, his skin warm against her bare stomach.

“Jonathan,” Steve says, looking over her head. Nancy can’t decipher the look in his eyes. “Is it okay if I kiss your girl?” 

“She was your girl, first,” Jonathan says, swaying a bit with Nancy in his arms. 

Steve leans forward slowly, his hands braced on Jonathan’s arms for balance, and presses his lips into Nancy’s. It’s drunk-sloppy, but it still takes her breath away a little bit. She’d always loved being kissed by Steve Harrington. 

“I almost forgot what a good kisser you are,” she breathes after he breaks away. 

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we,” Steve murmurs, his eyes still closed, and kisses her again, until her lips part for him and she’s sighing into his mouth. He slides his fingers between hers, their entwined hands gliding through the water, and even though it’s still plenty warm out, goosebumps prickle over her skin. 

Jonathan’s hands are roaming, dipping inside her bikini top to finger her peaked nipples. She arches back against him while Steve breaks away, pulling Jonathan’s face toward him instead. She can feel Jonathan tenting his swim trunks behind her as he touches her and kisses Steve over her head, and it’s somehow making her unbelievably turned on. 

She’s panting as she twists around in Jonathan’s arms and steals his lips for herself. He tastes like chlorine, she thinks fuzzily as his tongue slides against hers, and he dips one hand behind her to...to touch Steve, she realizes with a tiny gasp into his mouth. 

Steve’s hands are on her hips and his groan is in her ear. He’s backing them up so he can brace against the side of the pool, bending his knees slightly and lifting Nancy into his lap. The water’s up to her chest now, her hands reaching under water for the tie on Jonathan’s swim trunks. 

Jonathan’s groan as she gets her hand around him fills the air around them and has Nancy glancing worriedly at the house, just to make sure they aren’t going to get caught, but there’s no one in sight. 

“Don’t worry, Nance,” Steve slurs in her ear. “It’s just the three of us.” 

The three of them. The three of them who went toe to toe with a faceless creature and won, who lived with the weight of the secrets they kept; they’re the only two who understand. These two boys that love her in totally different ways, that she loves for totally different reasons. She didn’t think it was possible to be with them both at the same time, but it makes her feel like her heart could swell out of her chest. 

She smiles against Jonathan’s mouth, and then immediately gasps as Steve’s fingers slide between her legs. 

“Nancy—” Jonathan chokes out as she strokes her hand up and down, his forehead dropping against hers, pushing her back into Steve’s bare chest. Steve’s other hand tugs on the string of her bikini bottom, first on one side and then the other, and then the scrap of fabric is floating next to her, the water rushing cool against her where she’s now bare. 

Steve pulls her back further into his lap and spreads her legs wide. For Jonathan. 

She guides Jonathan to where she’s aching to feel him, and they’re all three silent as he pushes inside her, slides back out, and pushes in again. Steve’s deft fingers are inside her bikini top now, making her moan, and she never knew how utterly  _ complete _ she would feel surrounded by them both. 

Jonathan’s moving faster now, his breath coming in rough gasps, and she can feel Steve straining against his swim trunks behind her. She reaches for him.

“Steve—” she says, barely because he’s fingering her now and she’s rapidly losing her ability to form words. 

“Trust me, Nance, I am  _ fine _ ,” he murmurs in her ear, making a little noise of satisfaction as she finally works her hand inside his trunks and closes her fist around him. She strokes him up and down in rhythm with Jonathan’s thrusts into her, with Steve rubbing her hard now, and it drives her over the edge. Jonathan kisses her as she comes, as she shatters apart, held together only by their warm bodies on either side of her, their arms encircling her, their lips holding her firmly in place between them.

Jonathan pulls out of her abruptly, his hands braced on the side of the pool as he pants into her hair. Nancy’s still not quite used to the way he comes completely silently, so different from Steve, who is now making obscene noises behind her as she pumps her hand up and down him, his head tipped back over the edge of the pool.

She spins herself around in the water, a better grip on him now, and leans forward to kiss him, swallowing all his sounds of pleasure as he comes in her hand. 

Jonathan’s arms are wrapped around her and Steve wraps his arms around them both, sandwiching her between them, and they stay that way long after they’ve all caught their breath. It’s not until they hear the slight screech and woosh sound of the patio door being slid open that they spring apart. 

“Steve, honey, are you still out here?” Mrs. Harrington’s voice rings out into the black. 

“Yeah! Yeah, Mom, just taking a dip!” Steve’s voice has a shade of laughter behind it, but he keeps it steady. 

“Well, come in soon, it’s late,” Mrs. Harrington says, sliding the door closed. 

Nancy looks at Jonathan, who’s covering his mouth with his hand, shaking in silent laughter. Nancy’s cheeks are burning. 

“Whew, that was close,” Steve says, his voice low but light. 

“Shit, though, what time is it?” Nancy says. “My mom’s gonna flip.” 

She grabs her bikini bottoms and hauls herself out of the pool. Her clothes are lying on a nearby lawn chair, and she grabs her shorts and steps into them, not even caring that she’s soaking wet. Jonathan follows her, retrieving his shirt from where he dropped it at the side of the pool. He picks up the nearly empty bottle of whiskey and hands it to Steve, who’s standing at the top of the pool steps watching them with sad eyes.

Nancy puts a hand on his chest. The whiskey has mostly worn off now, but she’s still a tad wobbly. 

“Hey,” she says, looking up at him earnestly. 

But it’s Jonathan that says, “Come over to my house tomorrow. At noon? Maybe we can catch a movie or something.” He’s looking straight at Steve as he says it, and Steve lets out a breath that sounds like relief. She really shouldn’t have pushed him away like she did. 

“Yeah,” Steve says. His fingertips graze Jonathan’s arm. “Yeah, okay.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos mean the world! Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
